There is one passage more than any other which is I appealed to by those who believe in universal redemption, and which at first sight appears to teach that Christ died for the whole human race. We have therefore decided to give it a detailed examination and exposition.

“And he is the propitiation[3] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). This is the passage which, apparently, most favor the view of those who believe in universal salvation, yet if it is considered attentively it will be seen that it does so only in appearance, and not in reality. Below we offer a number of conclusive proofs to show that this verse does not teach that Christ has propitiated [atoned] God on behalf of all the sins of all men.

In the first place, the fact that this verse opens with “and” necessarily links it with what has gone before. We, therefore, give a literal word for word translation of 1 John 2:1 from the Updated American Standard Version (UASV): “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not commit a sin.[2] But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.” It will thus be seen that the apostle John is here writing to and about the holy ones of God. His immediate purpose was two-fold: first, to communicate a message that would keep God’s children from sinning; second, to supply comfort and assurance to those who might sin, and, in consequence, be cast down and fearful that the issue would prove fatal. He, therefore, makes known to them the provision which God has made for just such an emergency. This we find at the end of verse 1 and throughout verse 2. The ground of comfort is twofold: let the downcast and repentant believer (1 John 1:9) be assured that, first, he has an “Advocate with the Father;” second, that this Advocate is “the propitiation [atonement; covering over] for our sins” Now believers only may take comfort from this, for they alone have an “Advocate,” for them alone is Christ the propitiation, as is proven by linking the Propitiation (“and”) with “the Advocate!”

Continued below.

People wonder a bit about it then, whether plants have souls or not, they kind of do, but to explain a bit better then, everything that exists in our universe consists of energy, that's why you can set fire on rocks even with enough heat, but this energy is not directly dead, it lives a little, so when everything was just a sun in the beginning, the pressure and gravity inside it made matter to be shaped, it is actually solidified energy , it is kept going a little by the fact that it is constantly supplied with energy, otherwise it would have just solidified completely into stone, all matter then, but plants are really this energy then, which lives a little, a little that radiates from the earth, man has is a more evolved soul and a body to walk in, so that's why plants are a little different, they're more this energy around them, so they live, absolutely, just a little different than animals, and humans, we have more of a body to walk around in, move the soul around in, but everything lives around us, precisely because this energy lives a bit, that's why we don't just walk around dead too, without this energy that the sun, and so on, consists of, then we'd just be walking around, dead, and not really feeling alive, more like a robot then, but we feel real, and senses, so do plants, they are a slightly purer form of life, more like energy in its purity, humans are a lot weirder because we are more intelligent, but not necessarily better at behave, it's a bit because we're quite new too, plants, and animals, have lived much longer, they're wiser you could say, but they've always been kinder then, but I think maybe we humans will get there one day too, with that in mind, did god create this first energy, the first sun?

When a person dies are they judged immediately?

If they are then why is there a last judgement like the one described in Matthew chapter twenty five?

Matthew 25:31-46 NIV

All,

We have been in the process of starting an off-grid and sustainable community for interested Christian families who desire to live according to Biblical ethics, regardless of denomination, in the Caribbean. We have been making contacts on a particular island and such is place that is very well-suited for homesteading and off-grid living. We already have several interested families and have organized a website for drawing others as well. We will make all of our own food and practice holistic medicine and commonly own all things in the community. We will have chapel daily, as well as various studies and a Sunday worship service conducted by an ordained minister. We will do outreach and charity on the island, and work with other churches to help aid the work of the Kingdom there, we will likewise have scheduled times of fasting, as well as feasting and making merry as a community. Everyone would have weekends to themselves for their own personal time and at the start some of us may have to work some side-gigs until everything is well-established. Otherwise, all the work, from building, to growing food, raising animals, fishing, etc, would be done as a community. I myself have been ordained in the Lutheran and Reformed churches and have built and maintained my own off-grid homestead and some of the other interested families have backgrounds in building homesteads, holistic medicine, and teaching at Christian schools.

Beyond this, we would all have our own “huts” or simple home with a shared community center which would work as our chapel, kitchen, dining hall, school, library, storehouse, bathhouse, etc.

This is a very simplistic summary, but things are starting to move in a great direction and everyone is feeling very optimistic. Thus, for those who want to live somewhere with other Christians where we can be easily self-sufficient and eating fresh all year round, where there are nearly no regulations or restrictions on how we build our homes, raise our animals, educate and discipline our children, then consider joining in our plans. We hope to make the official move in the next couple of years once everything is wrapped up.

For more information, contact me via the message feature here on the site and then we can continue the conversation via email. Godspeed.

Texas Prosecutors Can't Target Groups That Fund Out-Of-State Abortions
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-new...groups-that-fund-out-of-state-abortions-judge

(Reuters) - Local prosecutors in Texas cannot use state laws that are more than 60 years old to prosecute organizations that help fund and arrange travel for Texans to obtain abortions in other states where it is legal, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin said that 1961 state abortion laws, which were rendered unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade establishing a nationwide right to abortion, were not revived when the Supreme Court overturned Roe last June.

The pre-Roe laws include criminal penalties for people who help others obtain an abortion.
Pitman's order, which is preliminary, will remain in place while abortion funding groups, including Fund Texas Choice, The North Texas Equal Access Fund and The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, move forward with a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of the laws.

The groups filed their lawsuit not long after last June's Supreme Court ruling, saying they risked prosecution for helping Texans obtain legal abortions in other states. They cited statements by Paxton and by some state lawmakers suggesting that the pre-Roe laws criminalized funding or facilitating such abortions.
Pitman wrote that while the pre-Roe laws could be read to criminalize helping with out-of state abortions, they were implicitly repealed when Texas passed new abortion restrictions after Roe.

Gonzalez v. Google LLC (Docket 21–1333) is a pending case at the Supreme Court of the United States which deals with the question of whether or not recommender systems are covered by liability exemptions under Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, which was established by Telecommunications Act of 1996, for Internet service providers, in dealing with terrorism-related content posted by users and hosted on their servers.[1][2] The case was granted certiorari alongside another Section 230 and terrorism-related case, Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh.

Many signs and wonders were regularly being done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Acts 5:19-21 ESV


I always love reading this Scripture passage! It does my heart good!! For if God opens a door, no man (or woman) can close it, and if he closes a door, no man (or woman) can open it. For our God is still fully sovereign over all that he created. He is still the one in control. No devil nor demons nor any human nor any creature on this earth can thwart God’s will and purposes and plans for us. And if we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, well that is within his sovereign will, too.

But the other thing I love about this is that the apostles showed no fear. Even though they had been arrested and put in prison, when the angel of God spoke to them and told them to go stand in the temple and speak to the people the words of life, they did exactly what the angel told them to do, knowing full well that they might be arrested again or beaten or killed.

But when the religious rulers gathered together and they sent to the prison for the apostles, the officers did not find them in the prison, and this was reported to the council, which then had the council members perplexed. And then they were told that the apostles were standing in the temple teaching the people. Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Acts 5:27-32 ESV


And, of course, I love this, too! For the apostles were not threatened at all by their opponents’ threats. For they knew that God was in control of the situation. So, even though they were reminded that they had been instructed to not teach in the name of Jesus, they did it anyway. And so the apostles answered them, “We must obey God rather than men.” Amen! And then they went on to proclaim the gospel message.

The apostles told them that the man Jesus, who they had killed by hanging him on a tree, God had raised from the dead, and he exalted him as Lord and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. But they didn’t stop there, but they went on to tell of the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all those who obey him. Amen! There you have it! Repentance and obedience are critical to both the true message of the gospel and to our salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

So, two things here. First, when God has called you, and he leads you to speak his words to the people, his instructions trump any orders from human beings. But let me say this here. It is best to do this in submission to the authorities if at all possible. And where that is not possible, sometimes the Lord leads us to just leave and to go someplace else where we can share the truth of the gospel. But in times of severe persecution, where we are not given permission anywhere to share the gospel, then the Lord may direct us to go against the authorities in order to get the truth out to the people, even if it means our arrests or persecution or even death.

Secondly, when sharing the gospel message, make certain that you are sharing the whole counsel of God and not a diluted feel-good message that promises people salvation from sin, all sins forgiven, and heaven as their eternal destiny without repentance and without obedience required. For if repentance and ongoing obedience to our Lord are not required, then it is not the true gospel of our salvation, but an attempt by humans to dilute the gospel to make it more appealing and acceptable to human flesh.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (daily die to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience. For if we hold on to (save) our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we lose our old lives for the sake of Jesus, i.e. if we die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, then we have eternal life with God and the hope of heaven when we die, providing we continue in those walks of faith steadfast to the very end.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

I Pray for Them

An Original Work / June 4, 2013
Based off John 17

“Glorify Your Son, that Your Son
May glorify our God in heav’n.
Father, You granted Him all power
And all authority over men,
That He might give eternal life
To all those whom now
You have given Him.”

“This now then is eternal life:
That they may know You,
Father, and Your Son;
That they may know the only true God,
And Jesus Christ whom the Father sent.
I have brought You the glory by
Finishing the work that You’ve given Me.”

“I have shown You to those whom
You gave to Me out of the world;
They were Yours. You gave them to Me
And they have obeyed Your words
And they accepted them. They knew
That I came from You, and they believed
With certainty, I was sent.”

“Holy Father, I pray for them by the
Power of Your name: Protect them,
So that they may be one as we are,
For they are still living in this world.
I have given them Your word;
Because of Your word, the world
Has hated them.”

“I pray they may have the full measure of
My joy now living within them.
Father, I pray You sanctify them
By Your word; truly Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world,
I send them to tell the world to repent.”

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This happened almost 30 years ago before smartphones.

Huntsman spider eggsac hatched in our bathroom and the seemingly thousand spiderlings filled the entire bathroom walls. This happened past midnight where everyone is asleep and not a sound can be heard around.

Then I started hearing this noise, like the faint noise of a thousand children screaming. The noise changed when I moved and the only thing(s) nearest my head and my ears are a bunch of a hundred spiderlings.

I noticed the noise went a bit louder when I moved closer to them. So I tried waving my hand very slowly over the spiderlings and true enough, the noise kept on changing each time I waved my hand which confirmed the source of the noise, it was the spiderlings. It went on for a few nights until the spiderlings have dispersed and only very few remained. I figured they can only make the noise audible enough when there's dozens of them making the noise at the same time.

It only crossed my mind recently, searched the internet, and found NOTHING about baby huntsman spiders making these screaming children noises.

I never hurt another huntsman spider since after that incident.

Feds fine Mormon church for illicitly hiding $32 billion investment fund behind shell companies​

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a nonprofit entity that it controlled have been fined $5 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission over accusations that the religious institution failed to properly disclose its investment holdings. In an order released Tuesday, the SEC alleged that the church illicitly hid its investments and their management behind multiple shell companies from 1997 to 2019. In doing so, it failed to disclose the size of the church’s equity portfolio to the SEC and the public.

The church was concerned that disclosure of the assets in the name of the nonprofit entity, called Ensign Peak Advisors, which manages the church's investments, would lead to negative consequences in light of the size of the church’s portfolio, the SEC said. The allegations of the illicit shell company structure first emerged in 2018, when a group formerly called MormonLeaks — now known as the Truth and Transparency Foundation — claimed that year the extent of the church's investments had reached $32 billion. The following year, a whistleblower filed a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a 2020 Wall Street Journal report; that year, the newspaper said the church's holdings had grown to $100 billion.

“For more than half a century, the Mormon Church quietly built one of the world’s largest investment funds,” the Journal said. “Almost no one outside the church knew about it.” The SEC accused the church Tuesday of going to "great lengths" to avoid disclosing its investments and, in doing so, "depriving the commission and the investing public of accurate market information.”

After the SEC expressed concern about Ensign Peak’s reporting approach in June 2019, the church said, Ensign Peak "adjusted its approach and began filing a single aggregated report. This settlement relates to how the forms were filed previously," the church said. "Ensign Peak and the Church have cooperated with the government over a period of time as we sought resolution. We affirm our commitment to comply with the law, regret mistakes made, and now consider this matter closed."

A billion here, a billion there . . . pretty soon you're talking real money!

So I am a musician. I was researching (on ultimate-guitar) a song the other day from Elevation Worship, which is the musical arm of Steven Furtick's church. The song is "Graves to Gardens". Apparently they have copyright claims against website that even just show people how to play their songs. So the website is not allowed to show any of their songs for legal reasons. Now that in itself isnt a huge deal to me, another artist had the same song up and the chords were correct, I learned the song, so on.

What Im concerned with is this idea of blocking others from learning. I cant articulate my thoughts clearly, and I understand as an artist they are likely trying to protect their work, just seems wrong to me as a believer, especially since they are the only worship band I know to do this. Added to this is their affiliation to Steven Furtick. Am I wrong in my view here? Seriously, Im asking to see if Im just being dramatic.

So Russia has been condemning the West in it's state run propaganda machine apparently, where now, Russian civilians are saying they're ready to bomb London or Paris, in an allout battle against the West. Russia has also said that it is prepared to push back the borders of Poland.

...So my question becomes, *why* is Russia so hostile toward the West? Do they not consider themselves fellow Europeans? Can they not see that we all share the same religions, and culture? They have the same malls that we do, the same cars, and the same logic.

So what is it, exactly, that they feel they need to protect themselves from? Are they opposed to immigration, like a kind of racism? I don't think that's it. I don't think it's the LGBTQ dilemma - there's no need for an authoritarian regime to worry about that - they can easily outlaw it.

So what on earth are they doing..? Why would they want to hate their own kin (fellow Europeans)? What are they "protecting" themselves from?

This is how the cookie crumbles.

Video about 10 minutes.

I had this dream last night about an old church. It was a Catholic Church I think. I'm not Catholic, yet, I wanted to get inside but the monks didn't want me inside.

I was allowed to stay in the church grounds though which is basically a garden, a real nice garden. So I started visiting the Church grounds frequently. Just want to hang out there and the monks didn't seem to mind.

But something horrible happened. Not sure if it's an earthquake or an explosion but the church collapsed. It seems the monks got out in time. Nobody died. But something was set loose within the church. For out of the ruins, came forth a black liquid that looked like tar but not tar. Yet, the tar-looking liquid did entrapped people and eventually killed them like tar would.

The liquid also looked alive for it was able to scale buildings upward. There seemed like waves on its surface it moved in a very strange fashion

The liquid just came out pouring like without ending, engulfing houses, buildings, and many people. Eventually, a Western Coalition made of NATO and its allies came to try to figure out what's going on. It didn't take long for them to find out there's nothing they can do at least at that time. It was totally unprecedented and dealing with the event was completely beyond their capabilities.

So the Western coalition was in a hurry to evacuate and save themselves. They left a message that we need to evacuate as many people as we can offshore. But even they were quickly overrun by the black liquid.

But one unbelievable thing happened. The liquid did not overcome me. Instead, I was able to run over it. It made me much stronger that I was able to run on it at bullet train speeds. The NATO commander saw what happened and arranged to meet with me to tell me what to do. He wanted me to go someplace. It seems he thought I'm the key to solving the crisis. But it was too late for the liquid got to him before he was able to tell me which place to go.

It was like a flood coming forth from the Earth but it was alive.

So I go to a church that is one of those spirit filled churches At this church they speak in tongues and I have always felt I wasnt going to ever speak in tongues. Then the pastor asked if I wanted to speak in tongues and I said yes. He then says to let me tongue flow and I kind of uttered what felt like random speech. Later that day I asked a friend who spoke in tongues if she knew what she was saying when she prayed in tongues because I dont feel like I was downloaded with any foreign language. She said most of the times she didnt know what she was saying either. When I pray this way I do feel something different but I still feel like I am saying random speech. I told her I wasnt even sure if I was really speaking in tongues and that I dont want to be trying to speak in tongues when I cant before the Lord. She said the enemy likes to put doubt. I would like prayer about this. Im scared to the point of wanting to abandon this tongues thing. I would rather get to heaven and hear "Why did you stop? You were really speaking in tongues" rather than "Why were you trying to do something before me that I didnt give you the gift of?" Should I stop? Should I keep going? Please pray for me.

So, do you have a preference for now a denomination is structured?

Church polity is something that does not really matter that much to me. I'm Baptist, so I am biased towards Congregationalist polity, but I am more concerned about how theology and the character of those leading the denomination.

As long as I agree with the denomination's teachings and doctrines, and it's leaders are godly, then I don't particularly care whether it has a plurality of elders, a chain of bishops, or independent local churches. At least, the polity wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me.

What about you?

If you can poke a hole in the Jehovah’s Witness teaching, they may start to doubt if the church is correct. So, it is good to have this little piece of knowledge in your quiver.
Here is a way of showing a Jehovah’s Witness that they are not the ones who return with Christ and reign for 1000 years.

I had a JW come to my door the other day and we spoke for about 15 minutes.
He went on to tell me that the JW’s will reign with Christ for 1000 years. I then asked him to read the verse about who reigns for 1000 years.
Revelation 20:4-5 says “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
At the start of this verse it says that John saw thrones and the ones that sat on the thrones and they were given the authority to judge. This implies that there are a number of judges. Then it says that John saw the martyrs for Christ. So, the ones judging, and the martyrs are not one in the same people. They are different beings. I then asked the JW, “If Christ judges everyone, then who are the ones that judge the martyrs? It specifically says that there are a number of thrones and judges.” The JW did not have the answer.

I then said to the JW that I believe the people who reign with Christ are the 144,000. And he agreed. So, I took him to the verses where the 144,000 are mentioned.
In Rev 7:4-8 John describes the 144,000 as being from the 12 tribes of Israel. So, they are Jewish people. The JW, then told me that this was symbolic. I said that I did not believe so. And then I showed him how in Matt 19:28 Jesus said that he would hand over the judgment of the nation of Israel, to the disciples. “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”.
So, in Rev 20:4, the reason there are several thrones, and several Judges is because, it is the disciples who are judging Jewish people.

So, keep this in your quiver for the next time they arrive on your door. It may make them double think about their church.

NOTE: I do understand that many believers have a different view of end times, but I choose to read the bible literary. If it makes sense, then I do not add a symbolic mystical meaning to it.

Now I would very much like to believe the Holy Spirit gifts such as healing, prophecy, tongues, etc are still available to this day.

I am undecided, first I want to throughly consult the scriptures first.

With many Churches being divided on the subject I'm a bit overwhelmed that this will be a never ending study with no clear answer.

Is it easy to figure out?

I believe this is a very important part of doctrine.

This video is revealing how that the questions asked about God are answered by non christians and are not the answers we would give out of the bible. Login to view embedded media If you want bible answers at least go to the bible but unfortunately the seekers for truth do not know the world will not give them the truth.

Tomorrow morning Daniel , Fraser and David will be Baptised in the very chilly waters of Loch Lomond .

They will Receive Eucharist for the first time at our Liturgy on Sunday morning .

Please keep them in your prayers

I think one of the main things that blocks me from moving forward spiritually is lust..
... Not only lust, but an unwillingness to give it up...
I lack both the ability and the inclination to give it up.

To repent means to turn from sin, but I don't want to turn from it...
... I'm unable to repent, so I'm stuck....

Q.: What can I do?

.

My new home health aide is a Jehovah Witness. I talk about my life and the Lord because that’s my life. I was Born Again when I was 20 years old and now I’m 61 years old. I think initially she probably thought I was some kind of “religious nut” because of the way I talk about the Lord. I don’t talk “theology”. Instead I talk about who the Lord is in my life and what He’s done and is doing for me. I think she tried to do a JW push back. She had to run an errand but before she left, She asked if I could the copies. I told her that I couldn’t make copies for her because I don’t promote religion, religious make some copies for her and left the papers on the table. Turned out what she wanted copies of were her own personal JW “tracks” that were directing people to an online JW site. I also think on the sly that she thought she could “witness” to me without facing me but it didn’t work because I’m really good at checking “sources”. When she came back from the errand, the first thing she asked about were organizations, denominations, etc. She hurried up and put the papers in her purse saying it was okay. However the day before she had mentioned that she wanted an NIV Bible. Well it turns out that I had an NIV large print soft cover Bible that had hardly been used. So later that day I offered it to her and she was truly happy to receive it.

Where I’m at is I just love sharing about the Lord because He’s my life. I’ve got 41+ years of experiences with the Lord. I don’t talk “theology” for a variety of reasons but I do believe that people are more interested when I share about my life not just how I was Born Again but life failures/successes and how the Godhead has always made and continues to make the difference.

So do you have any suggestions?

I thought this was a rather unorthodox take on the whole situation.

Statements like “Pete Buttigieg has taken a lot of bullets for the president on this,” and claiming he's "absorbing the brunt of attacks from the Biden administration’s adversaries."

And things like:
The “effort by Fox News and Republicans” to use the pain of the East Palestine community “as a political weapon is both enraging and demeaning,”


The common narrative from some on the left has been that "It was Trump's deregulation that caused this, but the current administration is taking the blame" is more than a tad misleading.

The single solitary regulation in question (from Obama) that Trump lifted wouldn't haven't prevented this particular incident, and the argument itself doesn't hold water. If the claim is "the previous administration unilaterally removed important regulation XYZ that the previous administration before that unilaterally put in place", then the rebuttal would be "Well, then why hasn't the current administration who's been in power for 2 years unilaterally put it back?"


I think this is one where both progressives and conservatives should be able to find some common ground here.

As someone who consumes media from both sides of the aisle and agrees and disagrees with various points they make on various topics, it seems to be something that some pundits in the independent media on both sides agree on, Pete's neglected his duties and was uniquely unqualified for the job that he was appointed to.

The Young Turks take (it's hard to outflank them on the left)
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The Daily Wire take (it's hard to outflank them on the right)
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G'day,
I'm Techo from down under. Figured it only be polite to introduce myself. Only been a Christian a short time... 50 years or so... but looking forward to the next millenium (and the rest) when I graduate to be with the Lord (especially since my wife did that last year).

I was raised a Baptist (was going to Church from before I was born) and became a Jesus people back in '73 after I joined the Charismatics. (I think the rest of the church people were unsure how to take me back then). When I moved to Melbourne (Australia) for work I was going to join a Charismatic Baptist church but the only one I knew was way over the other side of town. I started going to a Pentecostal fellowship and found that what that were teaching lined up with what I had read in Watchman Nee's 'The Normal Christian Church" (even though, at the time, they were not really operating that way... yet) so I continued to attend there. There have been a lot of changes in that Church over the past 40 years and, while others may still call us Pentecostal, we tend to consider ourselves more like non-denominational.

Things have not been easy for me. I was married but that girl really only wanted legitimate children and so, after our son was born, she discarded me (with an accusation that made her appear totally justified amongst her Christian friends), took our children and I've not had any contact with them in the past 30 years. Still... they treated Jesus worse and a servant is not above his master so I guess we have to deal with that sort of thing. Because she divorced me and the attitude she displayed amounted to, in the views of the Church eldership, an infidelity I was able to remarry to a wonderful lady who I 'stole' from another local fellowship. We had over 20 years together before she was diagnosed with cancer and then went to be with our Lord. Perhaps in all this God is perfecting something in me but I guess I'm too close to the situation to see what has been the result.

I've been confused about this verse for awhile and never quite understood what it meant. I'd like to hear others thoughts on the matter.

“For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”
— 1 Corinthians 11:10 (KJV)